Adding a 4th

When Kyle and I were dating we decided that we wanted adoption to be part of our family.  We also decided that we wanted to adopt specifically from China.  The years past, we were married, finished school, worked, had kids, moved multiple times and life happened in between all those events.  Due to the strict rules for adoption from China we weren't even eligible to adopt a child for the first eight years of our marriage due to our age.  We often considered a different country, but we always came back to China.  After accepting the incredible opportunity to move to China, we both thought that it could be our time to pursue international adoption.  However, after moving here all doors quickly closed due to our living in China we still were not able to apply.  Through, what I consider divine intervention, that all changed in May 2013.  And as of June 25, 2014 we accepted the referral of a little boy who is 14 months.  We are now working on all the immigration paperwork and it is also a long process.  But we are hopeful that we will be able to travel this fall to bring our son, Jaxon, home.  The girls are so excited to have a little brother!   

The process has been long and at times discouraging and scary.  We are adopting through the special needs program and our son has cleft lip and palate.  He has had an initial surgery in China that was very successful.  The agency has sent pictures to us and it was so great to finally see him, but it makes the wait to bring him home so much harder!

 Every child's life is so important, every single of them is a gift from God.  We are so excited that China is allowing us the honor to parent a child from their country.  We feel so incredibly blessed and so very excited!

We were able to send him a box of some fun things and a picture of his new family.  The girls also managed to slip in a few 'treasures'.  I'm pretty sure that he is going to be smothered with love from his older sisters!  Please pray for us as we continue the process of finalizing his adoption so we can bring him home.

Survival

Kenz finally finally finally graduated from kindergarten.  I have decided that short summer breaks are not my thing!  Her last day was July 15th and school starts again at the end of August.  She is still taking Chinese language class Mon-Wed-Fri but otherwise she is free to join her sisters in their daily 'lets bother mom' activities.  The girls are all growing up so fast, they are constantly changing, learning new things and entertaining their father and I with their craziness.

Kindergarten Graduation

Between Kenzie's school, Kyle's work, Chinese language classes and an overall difficult period in China, we haven't been as adventurous as normal so I have a major lack of interesting pictures!  I mainly have pictures of the girls over the last month along with pictures of all the school events that I have had to attend.  

 It is so so very hot!  The rainy season is over and the insane heat of summer has begun...

 taking a ride

 Madi checking out some puppies for sale

 Street vendors

 Buddhist temple

 I managed to get in through the back...

 We have had some crazy thunderstorms here in the last week which has led to some great air and amazing sunsets.

 army

 laborers

 Street vendors

Fireworks.  They set these off for all kinds of reasons, sometimes I don't think they even have a reason, they just love fireworks!  This morning they started going off around 6:30am.  We have had them go off anytime between 5am and midnight.  Sometimes right outside our windows.  Makes for some great entertainment for Kyle and the girls! 

sister love :)

Hong Kong

We recently made the now familiar trip to Hong Kong.  I love this amazing city and we always have a great time.  This trip was no exception.  

 The girls were super excited to go because they had new goggles and couldn't wait to go swimming!  Madi's are a little foggy because she refused to take them off from the time we got into the hotel room.

 We took the bus over the mountains on Hong Kong island to Stanley Village Market.  The roads are insane, but the views were amazing.  We got to sit on the upper floor of the bus and the girls were in the very front so luckily they didn't get sick this time.

We found a beach to hang out at outside the market.

 

 Mannequin party?

 BREAD!  So rare!

 

 Much to the girls delight their father cannot resist ice cream.  Ever.

 

This is the reason I come to Hong Kong.  Real bread.  Real ham.  Real cheese.  A LOT of mayo.  And a can of real orange pop.  Heaven.

 Breakfast at McDonald's.  So very delicious! 

Headed home.  It was a great trip, the girls got to swim a ton, we got to eat great food (even if that is simply American fast food!) and we were able to see more of Hong Kong.